Straight side punch press



July15, 1958 F. EQMUNscHAuER STRAIGHT SIDE PUNCH PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filled Feb. 27. 1953 INVENTOIR:

TORNEYS July 15, 1958 F. E. MUNscHAUER 2,843,204

STRAIGHT SIDE PUNCH PRESS v Filed Feb. 2'7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sham. 2

I N VEN TOR TORNE-YS' United S'tates Patent 2,843,204 s'rRAIGHT SIDE PUNCH PRESS Frederick E. Munschauer, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Niagara Machine & Tool Works, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application February 27, 1953, Serial No. 339,417

3 Claims. (Cl. 164`86) This invention relates to punch presses and particularly to that class of punch presses known generally in the art as straight side presses.

In straight side punch presses a pair of vertical side columns support the crown or superstructure of the press above the bed or base structure of the press. The crown of the press supports the power drive and transmission means for a vertically reciprocable slide or ram, the latter having vertical sliding bearing between the side columns of the press whereby it moves downwardly land upwardly toward and away from the bed or die receiving surface of the punch press. The present invention contemplates a novel frame structure for straight side presses and particularly a novel side column construction, whereby the frame generally and the side columns in p-articular are far more rigid and structurally efficient than straight side press frame and side column constructions of the prior art.

Heretofore the principal structural component of each side column of a straight side press has been a plate or wall member extending in a plane generally fore and aft of the press proper. This general structural arrangement was more or less universal in the construction of punch press side columns of cast iron or cast steel and the same general structural arrangement has carried on into the design and manufacture of punch presses wherein the side frame members or columns are fabricated from steel plates. Thus the art has followed a common trend in more or less duplicating the ca'st metal side frames of the prior art in the general evolution from cast metal to welded plate construction which has been in progress for the past decade or more.

The result of this trend or tendency has been a failure to take full ladvantage of the new design possibilities which are afforded and made possible at least in part by the newer construction methods and a failure to adapt the side frames themselves to meet present problems. l have found that a new `and highly advantageous side column construction can be achieved by departing materially from the forms and constructional conventions evolved during many years of cast metal press frame construction.

The punch press side frames ofthe present invention are of novel design and arrangement and are constructed so as to take full and unusual advantage of the possibilities of welded plate construction. Design inhibitions previously regarded as unavoidable, due to various limitations of the metal founding art, do not impose larbitrary restrictions on the design of the press frames of the present invention. The distribution and proportioning of the elements of construction as well as the method of fabricating and assembling the several components and elements are novel and unusual, both in conception and in the economy and structural eiciency of the practical embodiment of the inventive concept.

Various other objects and advantages will disclose themselves to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings. While several complete and specific embodiments of the principles of the present invention are set forth in the drawings and specification, it is to be understood that :such embodiments are by way of example only and that the principles of the present invention are not limited to the forms thus shown or otherwise excepting as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general front elevational view of one form of punch press frame constructed according to the present invention, `only the rigid framing and structural portion of the press being illustrated in this embodiment in the interests of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the form of the present invention shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. l but showing another form of the punch press framework of the present invention and illustrating generally the punch press slide and certain other portions of the operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 with a portion thereof broken away for added illustration;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Iand Fig. `7 is a detailed cross-sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Throughout the several figures of the `drawings like characters of reference denote like parts and, referring particularly to Fig. l, the numerals 10 and 11 designate respectively the left and right hand side frame or column members of the straight side punch press frame there shown. The bed member of the press which in this embodiment extends between the side frame or column members is designated generally by the numeral 12 and the crown portion of the press frame, which in this embodiment likewise extends between the side columns, is designated generally by the numeral 13.

In the form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 7, the side columns 1li` and 11 extend generally the full height of the punch press from the floor to the top. The general transverse cross sectional arrangement of the components which make up the righthand side column 11 is shown in detail in the cross section, Fig. 7, and as there shown the right-hand side column comprises an inner plate member 15 'which extends the full depth of the side column from front to rear.

A pair of upright front and rear channel members 16 and 17, respectively, are disposed against the outer face of plate member 15 with the outer edge portions of the flanges of the channel members in abutment with the plate member. The plate member 15 and the channels 16 and 17 are welded into an integral whole along these lines of abutment as indicated at 18, 19, 2t) and 21 in Fig. 7. A central outer plate member 23 is disposed in this space between the channel members 16 and 17 and is welded thereto at its edges as indicated at 24 and 25. The lefthand side column 10 is of course constructed in a similar manner, its main inner plate member being designated 26 in Fig. 1 and its front channel member 27.

The foregoing general method of fabricating the side columns of a punch press of the straight side type provides a structure which receives and absorbs the complex stresses which must be borne and absorbed by punch press side columns in a highly eicient and unusually satisfactory manner. Further, this side column construction is one which is relatively simple and straightforward to fabricate, both from the standpoint of producing the 35, respectively.

These several components which make up the bed 12 of the press are securely welded along their meeting edges and are also welded to the inner main plate members 26 and 15 of the side columns 10 and 11 as indicated at 37, 38, 39 and 40 in Fig. l. In the form of bed structure illustrated in Figs. l and 2 the bed is further reinforced by vertical fore'and aft bracing plates 43 and 44 which immediately underlie the top plate 30 of bed 12 and extend from front plate member 31 to rear plate member 32. Plates 43 and 44 are likewise welded at their edges to the other portions of the bed with which they abut.

Vertical front and rear channel members 49 are welded against the outer sides of the front and rear plate members 31 and 32 and further reinforce and support the bed structure. The channel members 49 are arranged with their web portions generally in the plane of the front and rear portions of the side columns and 11 and with the outer edges of their flange portions abutting against the exterior surfaces of the front and rear vertical plate members 31 and 32 to which elements the channel members 49 are welded.

The crown portion of the punch press frame which connects the upper ends of the side columns 10 and 11 and which is designated generally 13 in Figs. l and 2 is shown in cross sectional detail in Fig. 3 and comprises front and rear vertical plate portions 53 and 54 which are inwardly anged at their upper and lower edges. The crown 13 further comprises bottom plate members 55 which extend from front to rear between the plate members 53 and 54 at the center portion thereof.

The punch press for which the frame illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7 is designed is of the double crank type having two crank throws laterally spaced with two separate connections downwardly to the slide of the press Crankshafts of straight side presses of this type are conventionally provided with a center bearing structure and two end bearings, usually of the split type although not necessarily.

In the present instance the two end bearings for the crankshaft, that is the stationary upper portions of such bearings, `are secured in appropriate openings formed in the inner and outer wall portions of the side columns 10 and 11, as, for instance, in openings 5S formed in the main plate member and the outer plate member 23 of the right-hand column 11. As shown in Fig. 2, openings 58 are of sufficient extent to permit ready assembly of the usual bearing caps when the crankshaft is in assembled position.

The crankshaft center bearing structure, that is, the upper stationary portion of the center bearing structure, is designated 60 and is secured to the lower portions of a pair of fore and aft supporting plates 61 and 62 which are welded to the front and rear plate members 53 and 54 of the crown and the lower plate member 55.

Suitable slide bearings are provided for guiding the vertical reciprocation of the slide which carries the upper or movable part of the die set. In Fig. 2 these slide bearings are designated 64, 65 and 66.

Reference will be had now to the modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In this form of the invention the side column members are basically the same as the side columns in the previously described modification as.

to transverse cross section and as to the manner in which components are entirely conventional and form no part the several principal components are fabricated and assembled to form the side column. However, in the present modification the basev and the crown of the press each extends substantially the full width of the press from side to side and the side column members extend vertically between the bed and the crown, having their bottom ends supported upon the bed and their upper ends extending to a point directly beneath and in abutment with the crown for supporting the latter.

In Fig. 4 the press crankshaft and its driving gear and the slide of the press are indicated in position to more fully disclose a complete punch press, although those of the present invention.

In Fig. 4 the bed of the press is designated generally by the numeral 70, the crown by the numeral 71, and the left and right hand side columns by the numerals 72 and 73, respectively. The right-hand side column 73 is shown in horizontal transverse cross section in Fig. 6 and comprises a relatively heavy inner plate member 75, front and rear channel members 76 and 77, and an outer central plate 78. The manner in which these components are fabricated and welded to each other to form a vertically extending side column is the same as that described in connection with Fig. 7 of the previous embodiment and thus need not be repeated in detail here.

In the present form of the invention the side columns 72 and 73 have at their lower ends horizontal plate members 80 and 81, respectively, which extend forwardly and rearwardly, generally coextensively with the main body portions of the column member. Similarly, the upper ends of the side columns 72 and 73 are provided with plate members 82 and 83, respectively. The bed of the press of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 includes upper, front and rear laterally extending rail members 85 and 86, underlying vertical front and rear plate members, the front plate member being designated 87 in Fig. 4, and vertical end plate members 88 and 89.

The end plate members 88 and 89 have welded to their outer faces front and rear vertical channels which comprise downward vertical extensions of the channel members which are included in the side column construction. The front vertical channel member yof the right-hand portion of the bed structure is designated 92 in Fig. 5 and the rear channel member is designated 93. In Fig. 4 the front channel member of the left-hand column member is designated 94.

Relatively heavy horizontal bottom plate members are welded to the lower ends of each of the outer Iside channel members of the bed of the press, the bottom plate of channelmember 92 being designated 96, the `bottom plate of channel member 93 being designated 97, and the bottom plate of channel 94 being designated 98. The 'left rear channel member and its bottom plate member do not appear in either Fig. 4 or Fig. 5. An intermediate upper horizontal plate member extends between the channel members 92 and 93 of the bed structure as shown in Fig. 5 and a similar horizontal plate member is provided at the left-hand side of the bed 70 between the front channel member 94 and the rear channel member thereof.

For accurately locating the side columns with respect to the bed of the press fore and aft keys 101 and 102 and laterally extending keys 103 interiit with the lower ends of 'the side column structures and the adjacent abutting upper surfaces of the bed structure.

In the form of bed illustrated in Fig. 4 the front and rear vertical plate elements are further reinforced by vertically extending channel members as indicated in connection with plate 87 at 105 in Fig. 4.

The crown 71 yof the press of Figs. 4 and 5 includes front and rear vertical wall members and 111, respectively, and end wall plate members 112 and 113. Channel members 114 and 115 whose width is substantially equal to the full depth of the crown from front to back `are disposed against the end plate members 112 and 113 to form substantially a double wall end structure at each end of -crown 71. The lower end of the crown structure is provided at each corner with a horizontal supporting plate portion for .seating against the corresponding horizontal plate portions at the upper ends of the respective side columns. The lower end plate portions `appearing in Figs. 4 and 5 are designated 115, 116, and 117.

Referring to Fig. 5, a pair of vertical plate members 120 extend laterally between the web portion of channel 115 and plate member 113 to provide, in effect, approximate upward extensions of the side channels 76 and 77 of the side column 73. Similar plate members are provided in association with the channel member 114 and plate member 112 at the left-hand side of the crown 71. Rigid horizontal abutment plate members 123 and 124 surmount these approximate channel extensions as shown in Fig. 5 at the right-hand side of the press and similar horizontal abutment plate members are provided in conjunction with the left-hand channel member 114 and plate member 112 of the crown 71 of the punch press now being described.

The meeting surfaces of the crown 71 and the upper ends of the side columns 72 and 73 are provided at opposite sides with keys 125 and 126 which extend generally in a direction from front t-o back of the press and accurately locate the crown 71 with respect `to the side columns 72 and 73.

The entire framing assembly of the punch press -of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, comprising the bed 70, the crown 71, and the side frame members 72 and 73, is held in rigid assembly by means of vertical tie rods which extend through the bottom support plate members at the lower extremity of the bed of the press and upwardly through the abutment plate members which are designated 123 and 124 at the right-hand side of the press and are integrally associated with the crown 71.

The front and rear tie rods at the right-hand side of the press are designated 130 and 131, respectively, and the front tie rod at the left-hand side of the press is designated 132 in Fig. 4. The several tie rods are provided at their lower ends with nuts 134 and Iat their upper ends with nuts 135 by means of which nuts the bed, the side columns and the crown may be compressed through the medium of the tie rods to establish a rigid unitary assembly and one wherein the vertical tensile forces, which arise during and from the actual punching operation and which tend to move the ybed and the crown of the press vertically yapart from eachother, are borne directly by the four tie rods which retain the press frame components in assembled relation.

In Fig. 4 the vertically reciprocating slide for the press is designated 140 and the double throw crankshaft is designated 141. In the present instance the latter has two center bearings 142 and 143 which may be of the split type, the upper half being integrally included in the crown assembly. As shown in detail in Fig. 5 the crankshaft end bearings, one of which is designated 145 in Fig. 5, may comprise solid circular bearings held between the upper ends of the side frames 72 and 73 and the lower portion of the crown 71, those elements being suitably apertured to receive and locate the end bearings of the crankshaft. The connections between crankshaft 141 and the slide 140 are entirely conventional and are not illustrated in the drawings.

As in the previous embodiment, the inner wall members of the side columns are provided with suitable slide guide bearings. The bearings of inner wall 75 of column 73 are designated 150, 151 and 152 and the front slide bearing of side column 72 is designated 153 in Fig. 4.

What is claimed is:

1. In a punch press of the straight type, a pair of laterally spaced generally vertical side column members at opposite sides thereof, each of said column members including an inner wall extending generally from the front to the rear of said punch press, a die receiving bed rigidly connected at its opposite sides with the lower portions of said side columns, a crown spaced above said die receiving bed and extending between said side column members at their upper portions with the ends of said crown xed against said inner walls, each of said column members having a pair of vertical channel members disposed adjacent to the front and rear vertical edges of the inner wall member thereof with the outer edges of the flanges of each channel member in abutment with and welded to the exterior surface of said inner wall, and a vertically extending plate element extending between the facing flanges of each of said pair of channel members and welded thereto along the vertical edges of said plate element, each plate element being disposed outwardly of and parallel to its associated inner wall member, said inner walls being substantially thicker than the walls of said channel members and said plate elements.

2. In a punch press of the straight side type, a pair of laterally spaced generally vertical side column members extending substantially the height of said press at opposite sides thereof, each of said column members including an inner wall extending generally from the front to the rear of said punch press, a die receiving bed between said side column members at their lower portions and xed against said inner walls, a crown between said side column members at their upper portions and likewise fixed against said inner walls, each of said column members having a pair of vertical channel members disposed adjacent to the front and rear vertical edges of the inner wall member thereof with the outer edges of the flanges of each channel member in abutment with and welded to the exterior surface of said inner wall, said pair of channel members being spaced from each other from front to rear of said press, and a vertically extending plate element extending between the facing tlanges of each of said pair of channel members and welded thereto along the vertical edges of said plate element, each plate element being disposed outwardly of and parallel to its associated inner wall member, said inner walls being substantially thicker than the walls of said channel members and said plate elements.

3. In a punch press of the straight side type, a pair of laterally spaced generally vertical side column members extending substantially the height of said press at opposite sides thereof, each of said column members including an inner wall extending generally from the front to the rear of said punch press, a die receiving bed between said side column members at their lower portions and xed against said inner walls, a crown between said side column members `at their upper portions and likewise xed against said inner walls, each of said column members having a pair of vertical channel members disposed adjacent to the front and rear vertical edges of the inner wall member thereof with the outer edges of the flanges of each channel member in abutment with and welded to the interior surface of said inner wall, said pair of channel members being spaced from each other from front to rear of said press, said inner walls being substantially thicker than the walls of said channel members.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,045,957 Dicks Dec. 3, v1912 1,251,430 Sherman Dec. 25, 1917 1,265,990 Benner May 14, 1918 1,945,282 Lindgren Ian. 30, 1934 1,954,651 Sherman April 10, 1934 2,038,795 Klocke April 28, 1936 2,384,160 Ernst Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIHCME 0F CoRRECTioN July l5, 1958 Patent Nou EDS/Bg l Frederick Muneohauer It is hereby certified that error appears in Jche printed Specifica?,ion of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that June said Letters Patent should read as Corrected below.

Golumn Eny line 609 for "interior" :read me exterior emo Signed and this 161531 day of September .1958 f,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL EL, Attesting Officer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents 

